Movie Reviews « Phil & Mel's Blog

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June, 2011
X-Men: First Class (2011) 3.5/5
2011-06-16 22:16

Loved the James Bond feel to the movie, and was pleasantly surprised altogether. Music was by one of Zimmer's pupils, awesome job. Sadly, no teaser at the end.
0.3
12 Angry Men (1957) 5/5
2011-06-08 21:08

By far one of my favorite movies EVER. Amazing story-telling, fantastic characters, and a great Henry Fonda.
0.3
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's... 2/5
2011-06-07 23:00

One good special effect (when they turn the ship upside down to be in a new world), otherwise very boring. Pirate topic obviously not totally my thing, but still I love the music.
0.3
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's... 2.5/5
2011-06-06 18:56

Still like the music, but found the story line to be rather dull.
0.3
The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of... 3/5
2011-06-02 21:54

In light of the fact that the fourth installment just made it to the cinemas we decided to give Pirates a try. I was somewhat surprised to find that I actually enjoyed various parts of the movie. Music was great.
0.3
May, 2011
Unthinkable (2010) 2.5/5
2011-05-14 16:21

Slightly pointless but relatively gripping.
0.3
London Boulevard (2010) 3.5/5
2011-05-12 07:54

A tad too long, but not bad.
0.3
Four Lions (2010) 3.5/5
2011-05-08 14:02

Very, very black... the humor that is. But I liked it.
0.3
Rio (2011) 2/5
2011-05-07 21:27

Not my favorite animated movie ever, but 1-2 laughs and a couple of cute moments.
0.3
April, 2011
The Craigslist Killer (TV 2011) 0.5/5
2011-04-28 19:48

I seriously don't understand why I watch some of these movies. This was truly tragically bad, a little bit better than that considering it was made for TV.
0.3
No Strings Attached (2011) 1/5
2011-04-28 16:45

Lame, lame, lame.
0.3
Thor (2011) 3/5
2011-04-27 19:40

Seriously, I am not one for overly ripped bodies or that semi-long hair in men, BUT I was all over Chris Hemsworth. Wholly entertained as always with the Marvel-movies, even if I much prefer X-men or Ironman. Loved Anthony Hopkins, less convinced by Natalie Portman. And always love the Teaser at the end of the movie which very few people stay for.
0.3
Fair Game (2010) 3.5/5
2011-04-26 21:52

Incredible that this could have happened in the US. It's been a while since I saw Sean Penn and I quite enjoyed his performance.
0.3
The Way Back (2010) 4/5
2011-04-25 22:26

Peter Weir did an excellent job on this one... unbelievable story, very very good casting (although I think I like most everything Ed Harris does, and Jim Sturgess is a favorite since that Beatles-movie).
0.3
It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010) 4/5
2011-04-24 22:25

Hadn't heard anything about this movie and really liked it. Wonderful script, a cast that fit together well, some very odd characters, perfect choice of songs.
0.3
Stone (2010) 2.5/5
2011-04-18 23:16

Good acting by Robert de Niro and Edward Norton, but altogether slightly boring and dull movie. Maybe I did not understand it?
0.3
Mao's Last Dancer (2009) 2/5
2011-04-17 00:47

Started out ok, but then got VERY predictable.
0.3
The King's Speech (2010) 4.5/5
2011-04-12 23:03

Simply excellent.
0.3
Limitless (2011) 3/5
2011-04-10 16:47

This was definitely a dumb movie, but rather entertaining at that. If you are willing to question nothing and simply enjoy the ride, this one is right. Oh, and I probably would take that pill as well...
0.3
Inside Job (2010) 4/5
2011-04-09 23:13

I feel like I need to watch this movie over and over to grasp the full extent of what is going on. An absolute must-see, if only to discuss afterwards. Lastly, I like Matt Damon as a speaker.
0.3
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the... 0.5/5
2011-04-08 23:27

Not even the movie music was good. Obviously all the money was spent on CGI.
0.3
127 Hours (2010) 4/5
2011-04-06 20:31

Danny Boyle - Fantastic / James Franco - Fantastic / Survival Story - Amazing -->Definitely worth watching. Intense.
0.3
The Mechanic (2011) 2.5/5
2011-04-06 17:53

Easy entertainment, couple of cool kill scenes.
0.3
Letters to God (2010) 1.5/5
2011-04-04 09:29

Missionary-movie. No good.
0.3
The Fighter (2010) 4/5
2011-04-02 21:35

Very much impressed by Bale's acting job.
0.3
March, 2011
Little Fockers (2010) 2.5/5
2011-03-28 23:16

I truly thought this movie would be far less amusing than it ended up being.
0.3
The Next Three Days (2010) 3/5
2011-03-28 21:14

Not my favorite Haggis-movie, but quite good. I don't think I have ever seen Crowe smile, but he certainly builds the suspense well.
0.3
Goethe! (2010) 2.5/5
2011-03-27 22:13

Shakespeare in Love was better.
0.3
The Pixar Story (2007) 3.5/5
2011-03-27 15:13

Fascinating.
0.3
I Am Number Four (2011) 0.5/5
2011-03-23 14:08

We went to see this movie because we had not heard anything about it. This movie was so bad it was almost funny. Totally pathetic, utterly pointless. And worst of all: It looks like the concept is to make a sequel.
0.3
Tangled (2010) 1.5/5
2011-03-20 21:40

seemed to me like they were copying parts from Arielle and Co., not very unique.
0.3
How Do You Know (2010) 0.5/5
2011-03-13 22:25

This was just so bad we had to turn it off after about half of the movie. Hated doing that, but the movie was going nowhere.
0.3
Michael Jordan to the Max (2000) 2.5/5
2011-03-13 18:25

It was fun seeing the old footage, but the movie lacked any depth and didn't convince in any way.
0.3
Conviction (2010) 4/5
2011-03-12 23:45

Loved the camera work. Good performances by Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell, and Juliette Lewis always a good fit for anything surrounding white trash. Movie managed to stay suspenseful until the end.
0.3
Hereafter (2010) 2.5/5
2011-03-12 18:40

I would give it a worse rating considering Clint's last job was "Gran Torino" (which I thought was great), but all in all this was just ok. Special effects were awful (then again it is hard to "do" a tsunami wave), and the characters seemed a bit shallow in part.
0.3
Kokowääh (2011) 2.5/5
2011-03-05 00:01

I don't mind the fact that Till Schweiger ALWAYS plays precisely the same character. This was however a rather dull movie with zero point that had no flow in any kind of obvious direction.
0.3
February, 2011
Unstoppable (2010) 2.5/5
2011-02-13 00:15

Wasn't expecting this much suspense, could have been far worse.
0.3
TRON: Legacy (2010) 1.5/5
2011-02-09 00:24

Everything about this movie was pretty stupid, EXCEPT for the soundtrack and the special effects which I loved.
0.3
Black Swan (2010) 3.5/5
2011-02-08 00:19

Don't get me wrong, I liked this movie. Actors did an excellent job and I like Aronofsky's style. To me however, this seemed like cinematic case study of schizophrenia (typical story that will win an oscar) and as such I wasn't blown away by the whole film at all.
0.3
January, 2011
Small World (2010) 3.5/5
2011-01-14 00:08

C'était super. I loved the book, loved the movie just a little less than the book, and I had forgotten, what an excellent actor monsieur Depardieu is. Also: Maria Lara Alexander as une very stylish française.
0.3
November, 2010
Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) 4/5
2010-11-27 23:51

My favorite documentary of the year.
0.3
Due Date (2010) 2/5
2010-11-12 23:52

Limited amount of laughs, as was to be expected.
0.3
The Social Network (2010) 4.5/5
2010-11-10 23:52

Simply excellent.
0.3
October, 2010
Red (2010) 2.5/5
2010-10-26 22:49

Rather entertaining... loved the cast.
0.3
Remember Me (2010) 2/5
2010-10-24 20:44

Very little development of characters and altogether lame, with the ending being super-lame. I would only recommend this movie to absolute die-hard Patterson lovers (which -for the record- I am not), otherwise a waste of time.
0.3
Despicable Me (2010) 3/5
2010-10-04 16:51

Charming and heartwarming, attention to detail. I liked it.
0.3
Splice (2009) 1.5/5
2010-10-03 20:08

Adrien Brody does do a variety of various genres... kudos for that. A couple of interesting themes in the movie, but all in all too predictable, a bit odd. Sci-Fi mixes with Horror, didn't do it for me this time.
0.3
September, 2010
The Town (2010) 4/5
2010-09-29 16:04

One of the better movies this year, in my opinion. This movie had me on my toes... "Heat" is still better, but this is a good bankrobber-them movie.
0.3
August, 2010
Grown Ups (2010) 2.5/5
2010-08-30 16:02

Considering I thought I would hate this movie, I laughed quite a bit. Senseless entertainment, but comical at times. Seems like the protagonists really had fun making the movie.
0.3
Cairo Time (2009) 2.5/5
2010-08-23 21:27

Sweet story, and this inspired us to plan a trip to Egypt-
0.3
Salt (2010) 0.5/5
2010-08-21 21:26

Simply stupid. Everything. And not even a good sex scene with Angelina. Waste of money.
0.3
Toy Story 3 (2010) 3/5
2010-08-09 21:24

Sweet Pixar movie, as always... fun references to older movies.
0.3
Inception (2010) 4.5/5
2010-08-08 23:53

Nolan brothers at their best.
0.3
July, 2010
I Love You Phillip Morris (2009) 3/5
2010-07-25 21:03

Some unexpected twists and turns I found this movie to be slightly long-winded at the start. Finding out in the end that it is based on a true story made it so much better...
0.3
Kick-Ass (2010) 2.5/5
2010-07-25 15:56

Slightly original, but relatively stupid... can't say it was completely bad-
0.3
Crazy Heart (2009) 3.5/5
2010-07-25 13:48

Perfect role for Jeff Bridges... and surprisingly good Colin Farrell (interesting choice of the casting director). I like country music, that helped to like the movie, but certainly appreciated the fact that all actors did their own singing.
0.3
The Karate Kid (2010) 2.5/5
2010-07-22 22:59

Slightly long-winded start, but after it gets rolling quite ok. Good music and some decent fight scenes, not a bad remake.
0.3
Knight and Day (2010) 2.5/5
2010-07-20 14:58

Mission Impossible meets Something About Mary. Brainless entertainment with a few good lines, action scenes, etc.
0.3
Shrek Forever After (2010) 3/5
2010-07-14 21:56

Amusing and well-written for all age-groups, but nothing beats the first one.
0.3
May, 2010
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) 2/5
2010-05-24 23:57

Don't get me wrong, this is not a good movie. Considering it was based on a video game it could have been worse. And I loved the music (Harry Gregson-Williams).
0.3
Robin Hood (2010) 2.5/5
2010-05-24 20:50

Just another Robin Hood, with an ending that felt like the makers are one second away from green-lighting a sequel.
0.3
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New... 1.5/5
2010-05-03 22:10

Die schwache Version des koksenden Händlers "Lord of War" in verwässerter Version von "Training Day". Ziemlich lahm.
0.3
Iron Man 2 (2010) 2/5
2010-05-02 18:06

Habe schon schlechtere Sequels gesehen, aber dieser entging meiner Meinung nur ganz knapp dem Prädikat langweilig. Und das eher, weil ich Downey Junior recht passend finde in der Rolle des Tony Stark und Don Cheadle als Schauspieler mag.
0.3
April, 2010
Dear John (2010) 2/5
2010-04-25 23:23

Sappy lovestory-
0.3
The Hurt Locker (2008) 4/5
2010-04-11 15:31

Finally got to see this movie... more a piece of art than mere entertainment... sad, haunting... wonderful!
0.3
Blind Side (2009) 4/5
2010-04-06 23:56

Total feel-good movie, after which I felt totally "good$2.
0.3
March, 2010
Green Zone (2010) 2.5/5
2010-03-21 23:45

Vermarktet als ein weiterer "Bourne"-Film hatte ich etwas ganz anderes erwartet und war etwas enttäuscht, obschon der Film per se ganz in Ordnung war. Highlight: Die daraus gewonnene Message.
0.3
Inglorious Basterds (2009) 3.5/5
2010-03-16 00:10

Highly enjoyed this. Especially for Christoph Waltz who did an excellent job. Very well casting for this movie.
0.3
The Ghost Writer (2010) 4/5
2010-03-15 23:04

Excellent Cinematography. Somehow a bit too easy that in the end the whole plot is explained by an easy google search, and some of the accents were a bit strange, but I loved this movie all the way.
0.3
Shutter Island (2009) 3.5/5
2010-03-15 18:25

Ich bin zwar überhaupt kein Fan von Scorsese-Filmen, aber diesen fand ich super. Tolle schauspielerische Leistungen, perfekt dazupassende Musik, interessante Geschichte. Die Spannung blieb bis zur letzten Minute erhalten... und das Rätsel darüber hinaus!
0.3
The Princess and the Frog (2009) 2.5/5
2010-03-14 18:20

Schon lange keinen Film von Disney gesehen. Dieser war ganz süss, die Lieder nett, das es in New Orleans spielt super (ich wurde sehr, sehr hungrig während ich diesen Film schaute), ABER der gute Humor (à là Aladdin) fehlte einfach.
0.3
Daybreakers (2009) 1.5/5
2010-03-13 18:18

Vielleicht waren meine Erwartungen dermassen tief, das es nur gut kommen konnte, aber trotz miserablem Plot und etlichen Plotholes fand ich diesen Film sogar noch etwas unterhaltsam. Könnte jedenfalls schlimmer sein.
0.3
District 9 (2009) 3.5/5
2010-03-13 00:06

Really enjoyed this movie. I was able to read a lot into it.
0.3
Law Abiding Citizen (2009) 2/5
2010-03-10 18:23

Etwas unlogischer Vigilante Film, grottenschlechte schauspielerische Leistungen, aber doch eine gewisse Spannung und ich konnte eine ganze Weile nicht erraten, in welche Richtung der Film ging.
0.3
Mary and Max (2009) 3.5/5
2010-03-09 23:11

Wunderbares Unikat.
0.3
Five Minutes of Heaven (2009) 2.5/5
2010-03-09 20:42

Liam Neeson würde ich auch dann toll finden, wenn er ein Telefonbuch vorlesen würde... Film ganz ok, aber hat mich nicht unheimlich gepackt.
0.3
World's Greatest Dad (2009) 1/5
2010-03-09 18:46

I thought this movie was oddly creepy: Robin Williams as a poetry teacher and father, just didn't do it for me.
0.3
Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche... 3.5/5
2010-03-06 00:40

Exzellent, obschon ich dieses Werk immer noch am Verdauen bin.
0.3
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) 2/5
2010-03-04 00:51

Von den Machern von "The 40-year old virgin" (den ich relativ lustig fand) und "Knocked Up" (auch ein paar Lacher). Vergleichsweise also etwas enttäuscht von diesem Film. Ein paar Lacher...
0.3
Rear Window (1954) 5/5
2010-03-02 20:53

Ein Film, den ich schon mindestens 50 Mal gesehen habe und jedes weitere Mal liebe...
0.3
February, 2010
Precious: Based on the Novel... 3/5
2010-02-27 09:57

Unglaublich gute schauspielerische Leistungen von Newcomerin Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'nique, und -ganz überraschend- Mariah Carey. Das grosse Thema des Films (Inzest) wird nicht mit Samthandschuhen behandelt, der Film beeindruckt durch seine Ehrlichkeit und Direktheit.
0.3
The Lovely Bones (2009) 3.5/5
2010-02-22 23:09

Man fühlt sich etwas in einem Traum... und dann geht es fast ein bisschen zu lang so weiter, aber trotzdem schön. Tolle schauspielerische Leistungen, soweit ich mich erinnern kann entspricht es nur sehr lose dem Buch, aber sehenswert.
0.3
The Cove (2009) 4/5
2010-02-21 23:35

Ein absolutes MUSS. Und dann folgende Links auschecken: http://www.takepart.com/thecove und http://www.savejapandolphins.org/
0.3
Taken (2008) 2.5/5
2010-02-21 15:10

Didn't know Liam Neeson had any martial arts skills... good action movie and a some good lines, didn't get boring.
0.3
An Education (2009) 3/5
2010-02-18 18:41

Unbestritten ein paar der besten schauspielerischen Leistungen des letzten Jahres, obschon der Film als Ganzes mich eher etwas langweilte.
0.3
New York, I Love You (2009) 4/5
2010-02-16 22:25

Absolutely LOVED this movie, especially the scene between Ethan Hawke and the gorgeous woman with the fantastic legs. Amazing dialogue, and maybe his best scene ever. A Must for every NY-lover.
0.3
Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs (2009) 2.5/5
2010-02-14 22:15

Never read the children's book but quite enjoyed this movie (so far the favorite piece by Sony Pictures Animation I have seen). Sweet family entertainment (literally).
0.3
Magnolia (1999) 4.5/5
2010-02-13 22:23

Recently watched it once again and really enjoyed it. Tom Cruise doesn't get any better than this, and all the other "stories-come-together" movies simply pale in comparison.
0.3
The Blind Side (2009) 3.5/5
2010-02-08 22:27

Very, very feel-good movie, Sandra Bullock's excellent performance kind of reminded me of Julia Roberts in "Erin Brockovich", same type of character. And the "based on a true story" is always my kind of thing.
0.3
The Young Victoria 3/5
2010-02-05 22:35

Total dramatization of the longest reigning monarch's younger years, costume movies just kind of appeal to the girl in me...
0.3
Zombieland 2.5/5
2010-02-03 22:45

Von diesem Film habe ich absolut und rein gar nichts erwartet und war dann überaus positiv überrascht... normalerweise hasse ich zombie-movies, hier eine Ausnahme.
0.3
Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis (2008) 3.5/5
2010-02-01 22:43

Selten so viel gelacht... herrlicher Film, aber nicht übersetzbar.
0.3
January, 2010
The Time Traveler's Wife (2009) 3/5
2010-01-27 22:05

Die Verfilmung eines meiner Lieblingsbücher, und Filme können bekanntlich nie Ihren literarischen Vorlagen gerecht werden. Nichts desto trotz fand ich den Film rührend, stellenweise etwas gar kitschig... und leider denke ich jedes Mal an einen israelischen Hulk der Rache übt wenn ich Eric Bana sehe, aber sonst alles gut.
0.3
Invictus (2009) 3/5
2010-01-22 22:07

An inspiring story I had not yet heard... astounding what Nelson Mandela was able to do. Morgan Freeman (the man must have played just about every character under the blue moon by now) did a good job, a hard job. I wasn't quite able to get into his voice, though.
0.3
Un prophète (2009) 3.5/5
2010-01-18 23:37

Excellent acting, very moving. Fitting dialogue.
0.3
It's Complicated (2009) 2.5/5
2010-01-17 18:35

Easy entertainment: I just really like Meryl Streep, and enjoyed a few laughs. For some reason I find that Steve Martin always looks like he has far too much makeup on, but all in all this movie inspired me to learn how to make chocolate croissants, so that is something.
0.3
Wonderful World (2009) 1.5/5
2010-01-16 23:32

I am just not a big fan of Matthew Broderick, this movie bored me. Although I will admit that there were some heartfelt moments...
0.3
The Box (2009) 2.5/5
2010-01-16 23:28

Quite liked the first half of this movie, during which I thought that director Richard Kelly (who incidentally wrote Donnie Darko) built up tension in a very twilight zone way without all that many special effects. The overall concept of the movie (I don't want to give away anything) was interesting as well, but from the second half onwards it kind of went downhill for me.
0.3
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) 3.5/5
2010-01-15 20:25

Terry Gilliam's latest movie, which I didn't quite understand, but I enjoyed the colorful, quirky ride in different worlds. And the Faustian element indicated to me, that it wasn't just all about the colors...
0.3
Bright Star (2009) 2.5/5
2010-01-12 22:38

Jane Campion's latest piece, seemed a bit too drawn out at times, even for me.
0.3